Basildon duo Tim Meehan and Jim Crowley chalked up a record breaking 50 Stableford points to storm to glory in yesterday's Evening Echo Pairs Golf Vase at a windy Rochford Hundred.

They finished three points clear of their nearest rivals in the annual Fourball Betterball event after going round the course in a superb gross one under par 71.

Second place went to Les Robertson and Martin Willis from Three Rivers on 47 with Roy Nesbitt (Rochford) and Franco Galantini (Ballards Gore) two points behind in third spot.

A sizzling back nine of 26 earned Castle Point pair John Gale and Andrew Loveday fourth place on countback after a number finished on 44 points.

But pride of place in the field of 84 pairs went to Meehan and Crowley who play off 11 and 15 handicaps respectively round the New Town course.

Crowley, who had won the Vase a few years-ago in partnership with John Brandon, could not attend the prizegiving ceremony, performed by Rochford Captain Richard Campbell-Carr, but Meehan stressed that the victory was a real team effort.

"We really gelled in well - if one of us had a bad hole the other came up trumps and in fact we each went on the card nine times," he said.

"Luckily we got off to a cracking start with 18 points in the first six holes and it just seemed to snowball from there.

"Jim got three birdies - on the 3rd, 10th and 16th - and I chipped in with one on the 14th. We had two holes where we picked up four points and 10 three pointers.

"I have only just returned to Basildon after living in Ireland for five years although Jim and I played in the Vase together about 15 years-ago."

Meehan, a former West Ham junior soccer player who also turned out for Basildon United, said the Rochford course played well - "we holed some very good putts," he added.

"Conditions certainly weren't easy - strong wind and a squally shower of rain - but we had a game plan from the start which worked a treat.

"We plan to enter the event again next year to try and become the first people ever to retain the title. This is a very good and prestigious competition with a strong field - a real honour to have won it."

Record breaker - One half of the Evening Echo Vase winning team, Tim Meehan, receives his winners trophy from club captain Richard Campbell (left)

Picture: STEPHEN LLOYD

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.